I am beacause we are | I make because we care
Craftivists
Craftivism Club embraces the African humanist philosophy of Ubuntu, “I am because we are” rethreaded into “I make because we care.” Each of our diverse hands and voices strengthen the whole. We swop handcrafting tips passed down from our wise ancestors and transform individual courage into collective power.
Casting On a Craftivism Club in the Age of AI
Come for the crochet, cake, and camaraderie. Stay for the giggles and collective care.
Beginnings are wobbly. Starting a Craftivism Club takes more than trust in humanity’s ability to share a scissors, especially if they’re wonky, don’t cut properly, and hide under skeins. It takes trust in handcrafted bonds and shared truths on the meaning of life, yarn weights, and needle sizes.
One crafter wants to dismantle capitalism by embroidering a banknote. Another wants to mend socks so we can tread gently on Earth. There are big feelings for a granny square and memories of all our grannies. We’re using yarn we just had to buy even though our yarn stash is overflowing. Of course, we’ve lost the wonky scissors yet again, this time in a teacup.
Craftivism Club is where a crochet hook is a subversive stitcher, a knitting or sewing needle can say what a megaphone sometimes can’t, and sitting together with yarn, a cause, and a story is a radical act. Our threads are tellers of us at this stitch in time.
In a world of artificial intelligence and addiction to speed, slow is our culture and crochet, knit, and embroidery are our languages of resistance. We install vibrant yarn graffiti onto cold concrete walls and leave woolly dispatches in public spaces to activate conversations.
Squished between work, laundry, school runs, gym, and the living of life, we’re dismantling the patriarchy, questioning politicians, debating climate change, and resisting AI. Despite the unavoidable tangles, one-timers return and newbies join.
Craving just one more row, we make sure the revered wonky scissors is safely stored awaiting our next meetup.
Pull up a chair, grab a cuppa, pick up your hooks, needles, and yarns. Bring whatever’s on your mind. Whether you’re a long-time handcrafter or have never held a needle before, you’re in the right place. We co-create in a space that is inclusive, non-partisan, and non-denominational, in an ethos of reciprocity, generosity, and reparation. Join us @craftivism_club